


No strings

by EmmaSpencer



Category: Sherlock (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Distance, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Friends With Benefits, Going to the ball, Greg finally finds him, M/M, Mycroft fells in love, Neighbours, Student hostel, and they talk, tree - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-12
Updated: 2018-03-12
Packaged: 2019-03-30 12:55:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13951995
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EmmaSpencer/pseuds/EmmaSpencer
Summary: To Mycroft annoyance he has to move into a student hostel. Things didn't look so bad when he and his neighbour start their "relationship". Until Mycroft finds himself totally in love with the man who only cares about him till he's in his bed...Or he thought.





	No strings

Mycroft turned to his back and sighed with frustration. He tried to fell asleep for hours but the noise coming from the next room wouldn’t let him. He wondered who on earth holds a party in a room this small and why can’t they finish it at a normal time. But most of all why he had to move here, he could easily live with his uncle, he allowed him. But no; his mother insisted on him staying in a student hostel, according to her he needs to be around his age group, get friends, party, well she can be happy he is going to a party after all. He got up and went over.  
“Good morning.” he went in, someone put a plastic cup filled with some kind of alcohol to his hand, not really caring that he just appeared. He put it aside and made his way to the source of the music to turn it off. “Hey!” everyone yelled.  
“It’s four in the morning. Would you be so kind and finish up this gathering?”  
“Gathering.” they laughed.  
“I don’t believe any of you want to achieve much in life, unlike me…” Mycroft found himself pushed out of the room, the music got turned back on again.  
“Great.” he sighed and went back to his room. To his surprise the party really soon ended. 

‘Sorry about yesterday.’ he found a note stuck under his door when he came home.  
‘It was today morning.’ he wrote it with anger and pushed it under his door.  
‘Never the less, sorry. I sent them home.’ the answer came really quickly.  
‘Are you expecting me to fall to my knees in front of you to express my gratitude?’  
There was no answer to that.  
Mycroft was studying when a noise distracted him. “I can not believe this.” he hit his head to the books in front of him. He tore a piece of paper and wrote his next message.  
‘The walls are paper thin, I hear everything; everything!’ After a while came the answer.  
‘Sorry the thought of you on your knees in front of me turned me on. I would love to have your posh speaking mouth around me.’ Mycroft stared at the piece of paper with wide eyes, he tore it up and threw it away.

‘My offer still stands.’ the note came a few days later. Mycroft went over and knocked on the door forcefully.  
“Someone is impatient.” he smiled at him. “My name is Greg, I thought we could at least change names before it.”  
“Mycroft Holmes…” he couldn’t continue since Greg grabbed him and pulled him to a kiss.  
“Nice to meet you.” he panted when they parted. Mycroft didn’t answer just kissed him pushing Greg to the bed.

“No strings attached?” Mycroft asked back.  
“Yes.” Greg traced circles on his chest lazily. “If we want to get in bed we do, if not then no. No dating so no drama. What do you say?”  
“I’ll think about it.”  
“You were more than willing to jump into my bed this time.”  
“What can I say, you were persistent.” he chuckled. “I have to go to study now.”  
“This is only the first week.”  
“And? I want to finish school, not just get through it.”  
“Okay.” Greg turned so he was pinning him down. “Just give you goodbye kisses.”  
“Kisses?” Mycroft moaned as Greg rocked his hip.  
“In deed.” he smiled like a predator and continued to kiss down his body.  
“I don’t have biology class Gregory.” he managed to mumble, digging his fingers to Greg’s hair.  
“That is why we need practice.” he smiled and took Mycroft to his mouth.

 

“Mycroft?” Greg knocked on the door.  
“Not in the mood.” he called out sitting in front of the door.  
“Are you all right?”  
“I am.”  
“Are you sure?”  
“Yes, I’m just really not in the mood now, apologies Gregory.”  
“No, don’t apologise because of that, I’m just worried. I haven’t seen you in a few days.”  
“Nothing happened, just lots of schoolwork.”  
“Okay.” Greg left hesitantly. Mycroft crawled back to the corner where he spent the past days. He couldn’t bring himself to sleep in the bed, in the bed where he and Gregory spent so many hours in each other’s arm. “Gregory.” he whispered and curled up on his blanket. Gregory, the man who managed to got himself into his life. “No strings.” he mumbled. “No attachment, just fun.” this is what he couldn’t do. In the beginning he was fine with the agreement, but as time passed he fell in love with him; there was no need to lie to himself. He loved him, but Greg had a girlfriend and used Mycroft for sex only. He never mentioned her but one day Mycroft saw them walking hand in hand, kissing under the tree; their tree! It was theirs, it was where Greg found him studying, kissing him until Mycroft could barely contain himself, disappearing in a second leaving a void in his chest. He sat there dumbstruck, trying to stop shaking, normalise his breathing trying to figure out the new feeling that crept upon him. It was there he realised that he was in love with Greg. He continued their little game, pretending that Greg wanted to be with him because he loved him too, not just because he had a hole that could be fucked and he was willing to let him do it. He did everything Greg asked, everything…he wanted him to love him back and thought he could achieve it. Well he found out that he didn’t succeed, Greg has a girl and took her to their tree, he knew that Mycroft will be there, he was always there. Mycroft was walking towards it after classes when he spotted them, he turned and ran back to his room, closing the door and not leaving for days. He felt betrayed, he felt cheated on; of course he knew that he was the plus one, he was just so blinded by love that he couldn’t see it. He was fooled, cheated on; not cheated on after all they weren’t a couple. Mycroft buried his face to the pillow and let his tears flow.

He heard that the door opened, but he was too weak to turn towards it or to hear what the owner of the voice spoke. He vaguely felt hands picking him up putting him back to bed. He was stripped and washed off with water, he whined when the wet cloth touched his skin, but did nothing else. Once he was dressed up and tucked in he slipped back to his nightmares really quickly.  
“I know you are awake.” he heard Greg’s voice. He was up and tried to collect his memory how he ended up sleeping in bed, his head resting in Greg’s lap. “I haven’t seen you in days, so I asked the caretaker to open your door. You were sleeping on the floor, I couldn’t even wake you.” Mycroft curled up taking his head off his lap. “You don’t sleep now, no way. You have to eat Mycroft. I have it here, I just warm it up.” Greg got back too quickly for Mycroft to fell asleep. “Breakfast time.” he pulled Mycroft up, Mycroft shook his head, his eyes still closed; he couldn’t risk opening it, he knew he couldn’t contain his tears in that case. “You are eating.” Greg pushed the spoon to his mouth. “I don’t care what you say or do, you are going to eat now.” he continued to feed him. Mycroft’s tears started to fell, he tried really hard not to suffocate since his nose was clogged and Greg continued to force food into him. “Done.” Greg said after a time which seemed eternity. “Now up and to the bathroom.” Greg pulled him up but Mycroft wasn’t willing to stand on his legs. “Fine.” he picked him up taking him to the bathroom. “I’m going to make sure you get back on your feet and then we talk.” Greg warned him after putting him back to bed.

‘Gregory. I broke our agreement, I’m sorry but we can not continue our activities.’ he slipped it under his door and hurried to class.   
“Why?” he looked up and saw Greg waiting for him in front of his door when he got home.  
“Good evening Gregory.”  
“What agreement you broke?”  
“We are finished.” Mycroft tried to go into his room, but Greg didn’t let him.  
“Why? Did I do something? Said something?” Mycroft shook his head not looking at him. “Apparently I did, otherwise you would look at me.” he lifted Mycroft’s head.  
“We agreed if we don’t want to we won’t continue it.”  
“I know, but why?”  
“Do I really need to explain everything to you?”  
“Not everything, just this.”  
“You have a girlfriend you should spend time with her.”  
“What?”  
“Our tree.” he whispered.  
“Mycroft...” Greg let go of him, Mycroft used the opportunity to go to his room closing the door behind him.

 

Mycroft walked around enjoying the warm of the still weak spring sun on his skin. He wasn’t even paying attention where he was going when his legs took him to the tree. He sighed and sat under it, wrapping his arms around his leg. He made sure not to meet Greg, not even by accident, he pushed all of his notes back under his door without reading it. It still hurt, hurt so much, even after everything he still wanted to be with Greg more than anything; he wiped down his tears. His head shot up feeling a warm hand on his shoulder, running up to his neck; he was met by Greg’s chocolate brown eyes. “Hello.” he sat down letting his hand drop to Mycroft’s knee. Mycroft couldn’t answer him. “Long time no see.” he smiled at him. “I wanted to talk to you for a really long time now, I wrote letters to you and waited for you in front of your door…”  
“I know.” Mycroft cleared his throat.  
“Read any of it?”  
“No.”  
“I guessed.” Greg sighed. “Will you listen to me now?” Mycroft didn’t answer, but he didn’t leave either. “Thank you.” Greg got closer keeping his hand on Mycroft’s knee. “I know why you wanted to terminate our relationship. We thought we can do this without attachment, without getting involved but you couldn’t.” Mycroft shook his head, biting down on his lower lip. “Don’t bite yourself My.” Greg stroked his face, sending tingling sensation through Mycroft’s whole body. He felt really confused. “I had time to think and I realised what brought on your disappearance. You saw me and my sister walking…”  
“You kissed her!” Mycroft cut him off.  
“No.” he shook his head. “I did not.”  
“But I saw it.”  
“Really?” Greg tilted his head.  
“I think so.” Mycroft whispered. “I stood far.”  
“See, I was just showing her around. We spent so much time under that tree that I wanted to show it to her. That’s all.” Mycroft just blinked, trying to hold back his tears. “I’m sorry Mycroft, I’m really sorry. I should have seen it earlier.”  
“I wanted nothing more than you to love me back.” he whispered. “I loved spending time with you, even knowing that my feelings weren’t reciprocated; I could pretend at least…I could pretend that we were together, that we were in love, I pretended to fell asleep in your arms, so you wouldn’t have other choice than to hold me all night long, not sleeping a second, not wanting the night to end.” he whispered. Greg smiled softly at him and laced their fingers.  
“I want to get to know you better Mycroft. I want to take things slowly this time, go to dates, talk and spend time together; if you still want that.” Mycroft nodded with a whine, Greg sat next to him and wrapped his arms around the sobbing Mycroft. “Sorry Mycroft.” he kissed his temple. “I’m so sorry.”  
“Not your fault.” he wiped down his tears, Greg gave him tissues. “Thank you.”  
“It is; I pressured you into that.”  
“Not really. I mean I went over to complain but you opened the door and…I couldn’t help myself.”  
“Since when?”  
“Remember the first time you found me under this tree?”  
“Not really, sorry.”  
“I never forget anything. I was sitting here, studying and you sneaked up on me and kissed me, it was long and passionate, then you left me without a word and my life turned upside down.” he leaned to Greg. “I sat here, wondering what was I feeling till I realised what it was.”  
“But you had someone before.”  
“I did, but it was nothing like this. I liked him but you; you I love. Even after everything.”  
“That is why you slept on the floor.” he nodded.  
“I couldn’t sleep in the bed where we…” he sighed.  
“I see. Come, it’s getting cold.”  
“I don’t want to.”  
“I know a really good café, it’s close, really good coffee and cake.”  
“Oh…that I’d like.” he smiled and got up with Greg’s help.  
“Anything happened during these months?”  
“Not really; I’m still lonely, still the top of my class…nothing really changed. With you?”  
“I missed you.”  
“Me too.”  
“I was thinking a lot, what did I do, where did I go wrong. Of course I studied too, I can’t disappoint you after all.”  
“Me?”  
“Not only you, but I wanted to prove you that I’m not stupid, that I’m someone who learns, who is interested in new things, who reads…I read a lot.”  
“To impress me?”  
“I…I got to love reading, now I read because I want to.”  
“I love reading too.”  
“I know that, after you disappeared from my life I remembered quite a few things. I realised that you started to talk to me about yourself at first just small things then more and more…”  
“I hoped you understand what was going on with me.”  
“I was late, sorry.” they got to the café and settled in the corner. “How’s your family? You have a brother am I right?”  
“Sherlock, seven years younger than me. He is fine, not really talking to me.” he turned his eyes away. “Could we not talk about it now, I cried enough for today.”  
“That bad?” Greg ordered for them, Mycroft just sighed. “With us everything is fine.”  
“Lucky you.” Mycroft looked at him. “I wanted to move out so much, but mum still doesn’t let me.”  
“Where would you live?”  
“With my uncle, he lives here. I told mum it would be cheaper that way, but she didn’t care. She says that I have to spend time with people my age, I should go out, party, get friends…”  
“Not your thing.”  
“Not at all.” he sipped his coffee. “This is good.” he smiled.  
“Told you so.” Greg smiled back at him. “But you have no problem trying to be friends with me, I hope?” he asked.  
“No.”  
“Good.” he sighed. “You got me worried for a second.” Mycroft chuckled.  
“It’s good to see you smile. I always like the way your face lights up, your eyes shine when you do it.”  
“Not something that happens often.”  
“I know, that is why I treasure it.”  
“I bake better.” Mycroft pushed the plate aside.  
“You bake?”  
“And cook, I learned from mummy.”  
“I can only cook, not much though.”  
“That is more than others.”  
“True.” Mycroft sighed looking at the clock. “Class?” Greg guessed.  
“Yes, sorry.”  
“No need, see you sometimes.”  
“Looking forward to Gregory.”  
“Likewise Mycroft.” he hugged him.

 

“Ready?” Mycroft asked impatiently.  
“In a minute.”  
“Can I go in?”  
“No.”  
“Gregory?” Mycroft opened the door nevertheless. “What is it?”  
“I can’t tie this bloody thing.” he whispered really red. “I watched hundred videos, but I simply can’t.”  
“Let me.” Mycroft stepped to him and tied his bowtie. “I’m sorry but this is really necessary.”  
“If you say so, but where are we going?”  
“Secret.”  
“Bowtie, tuxedo, I know it’s something fancy.”  
“It is.” Mycroft smiled.  
“You look gorgeous by the way.”  
“You too, I knew I chose well.”  
“If it was for me I’d wear my only suit.”  
“Not to here Gregory.”  
“Here, here…where is it?” he took Mycroft’s hand. “Wait…with this!” he looked at the elegant black car.  
“Yes, we won’t walk there.” Mycroft chuckled.  
“So…this has to do with your uncle.”  
“Ten points to Ravenclaw.”  
“Hufflepuff love, you are in Rawenclaw.”  
“If you say so, but I have a different opinion.”  
“You’d argue with the hat for me.”  
“For you, anything.” he kissed Greg. “We are going to a ball.”  
“A ball!”  
“Yes, the only difference that I found my prince before it.”  
“Oh My…” Greg laughed. “I’m the peasant boy the prince fancies.”  
“No Gregory.” Mycroft looked at him with a serious look. “Don’t say things like that.”  
“Okay.” he mumbled. “So why going to the ball?”  
“To have fun.”  
“And to work.”  
“I told you, you must be in the same house with me.” Mycroft took his hand. “Yes, a bit of work for my uncle…”  
“Won’t I be a distraction?”  
“Not for me, but for others yes and that is why my uncle insisted on you coming.”  
“I don’t like this My.”  
“Why?”  
“Because we’ll be the gay couple scandalising the aristocrats and the rich.”  
“In deed. So I can work and save us from something I can’t talk about. Want to help?”  
“You know I do.” he kissed him. “That means I can hold your hand, kiss you, dance with you?”  
“Yes, just one request, stay alert.”  
“No drinking, promise.”  
“I don’t say you can’t drink, just be careful.”  
“Promise, I can look after myself.”  
“I know that.”

“I never thought pissing them off would be this arousing.” Greg chuckled and kissed Mycroft’s neck. “My?” Greg pushed himself up to his forearm. Mycroft curled up burying his face to the pillow. “Mycroft, talk to me now!” Greg tried to turn him to his back, but Mycroft didn’t move; so he started to stroke his back in circles. “Did I do something My?”  
“Why is it always about you.” he mumbled.  
“Sorry.” Greg pulled back his hand.  
“I’m sorry Gregory.” Mycroft turned to him, Greg could see the tears in his eyes. “I’m so sorry.” he whined. Greg wrapped his arms around him, letting Mycroft sob in his arms. “I…I’m sorry.”  
“You said that before.” Greg said softly.  
“It’s just sex, not even our first time, it shouldn’t stir me up this much.”  
“In a bad way?”  
“No.” Mycroft wrapped his arms around him tightly. “I can’t really explain it, sorry, but it was overwhelming, emotions drowning me…I…I just.”  
“I understand love, it was different for the both of us.” he kissed him, Mycroft snuggled to his arms. Greg smiled fondly at Mycroft, he was the most peculiar and gorgeous man he ever met. The most insecure and private men who around him slowly started to lower the walls and act like himself, allowing Greg to get to know the most amazing man.  
“Gregory.” Mycroft looked up at him.  
“Hmm?”  
“You are looking at me like that again.”  
“That?”  
“Like you are a teenager; madly in love with someone.”  
“I am.” he smiled and kissed him. “I was thinking how grateful I am that you let me get to know you, that you let me back in your life.” he kissed him. Mycroft chuckled but his eyes told everything to Greg.   
“I am the one who is grateful that you are interested in a freak like me.”  
“Just because you are different, you are not a freak. I can tell.”  
“Very kind of you. Had fun?”  
“You have to ask?” Greg chuckled. “It was beautiful, the food was amazing. You dance really well and I was so glad that we could do that. I’m glad we went.”  
“So if I manage to talk my uncle into it we might go again?”  
“I’d like that.”  
“I love you Gregory.” he whispered.  
“I know.” he kissed him. “And I’m exhausted.” Mycroft chuckled.  
“Night Gregory.”  
“Good night My.”


End file.
